給 means “supply, wage”

きゅう · kyuu

Also: salary, gift, allow

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たまう, たもう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キュウ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 4 · 12 strokes

The story

Thread (糸) joined (合) to piece out what is missing: 給 is supplying what is needed. It pays the 給料, salary, tops every part-time job ad as 時給, and serves 給食, the lunch Japanese pupils dish out to each other in class.

Used in 給料 (kyuuryou, salary), 時給 (jikyuu, hourly wage), and 給食 (kyuushoku, school lunch)

More from Money Matters

• 返 return
• 貧 poor
• 経 pass through
• 受 receive
• 支 support
• 済 finish
• 得 gain
• 資 resources
• 与 give
• 費 expense
• 財 wealth
• 易 easy

Learn 給 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.